Kartiawati Alipin*, Nurani Istiqamah, Annisa Maryani and Madihah
Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. rhizomes and Averrhoa bilimbi L. fruits have been potential as anti-diabetic herbs. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels or hyperglycemia due to deficiency or ineffectiveness of insulin. The combined use of natural herb (polyherb) is expected to produce a holistic effect in maintaining health and treating disease. This study aims to determine the effectiveness and optimum dosage combination C. xanthorrhiza rhizomes and A. blimbi fruit extract as anti-diabetic herbs in decreasing blood glucose levels, improve pancreas histopathology and the liver structure repair of diabetic male Wistar rats induced by streptozotocin. Twenty-one rats were divided into eighteen diabetic and three nondiabetic rats. The diabetic rats were divided equally into six groups; treated with CMC 0.5% (diabetic control), glibenclamide dosage 0.45 mg/kg bw (reference), extract of C. xanthorrhiza dosage 17.5 mg/kg bw, extract of A. blimbi dosage 750 mg/kg bw, combined extract dosages 767.5 and 383.75 mg/kg bw for 21 constitutive days. The results showed that a higher dosage of combination extract (767.5 mg/kg bw) that significantly lowered blood glucose levels (54.86 ± 34.61%) and improved the pancreas histopathology characterized by increasing number (9.33 ± 0.58) and diameter (53.34 ± 8.82) of Langerhans islet as well as decreasing insulitis degree compared to diabetic rats (p<0.05) and from treatment dosage 383.75 mg/kg bw could decrease the diameter of central vein and percentage necrotized cells of hepatocytes which significantly different with reference and diabetic control (p<0.05), and comparable with nondiabetic rats. In conclusion, the combined extracts were more effective than single extract to treat diabetic rats induced by streptozotocin.
